Austin Aschbrenner
About...
Austin Aschbrenner is an entertainment designer, production manager, and technical director based in Arkansas. A 2020 MFA graduate of the University of Arkansas, he is currently pursuing a PhD in Change Leadership for Higher Education at the University of Central Arkansas. His career spans design and technical work both within the United States and abroad, and his research explores how artificial intelligence can intersect with theatre and how technical theatre practices can be effectively integrated into higher education programs. Recent projects include scenic designs for his university’s summer stock theatre, scenic work at Shine Performing Arts in Plano, Texas, and Ghostwriters—a playwriting experiment that invites audiences to question the role of AI in authorship.
Philosophy Statement...
Theatre is a storytelling medium and the epitome of a collaborative effort. My goal within theatre is to design and create productions that will convey a central metaphor that highlights the various ideas within the plays and operas I design. I believe that these metaphors not only further engage the audience with the productions overall but also can add levels to the story that is portrayed by the play. For every show there is a story to be told and if I can move a single person to new or higher thinking with my design, I will have truly finished my job.